The Virus
by Mahi-Mahi
Summary: Refurbished & Updated Posted on a remote island in Umi no Kuni, Sakura encounters a mysterious man while trying to ward off the effects of a disease consuming the islands occupants. ItaSaku
1. Chapter 1

**I'm gonna try to make this brief...I've redone this cuz I have been absolutely ashamed of this fic and how I'd portrayed the Uchiha prodigy. He's practically a walking tragedy, poor man. I can't bring myself to enjoy writing him as an evil asshole anymore. Hell, **_**I**_** don't even feel comfortable reading over those old chapters. But, I have desperately tried to patch this one up. For those of you who wish to read the original three chapters, it will be posted in the third instalment of ****The Smut Bucket****.**

**That being said, please review and above all else...enjoy. **

* * *

**The Virus**

-

_This is the virus – the virus of life_

_This is inside us – the crisis – the knife_

_-_

"Everything has been taken care of," Zetsu said quietly. "The ship that departed from Port City has been demolished before reaching the intersecting port of Jiro Island. The Cha no Kuni prince has already been expended."

"And what of his caravan?" A blurred figure cloaked in the soft shadow of the night replied.

"Devoured."

"And the boat?"

"Burned and sunk."

"We must not leave behind any evidence." The figure spoke again in an appropriately hushed, diluted tone. "Have you kept the body? It mustn't be allowed to decompose further than necessary."

"Yes," Zetsu nodded stiffly, his fluorescent yellow eyes were unblinking. "It has been frozen and concealed at an undisclosed hideout until the mission is complete."

"My orders?" The voice kept its questions and responses simple and brief.

Zetsu pulled out a scroll from the inside of the his Akatsuki cape, the garb prescribed to each official member of the organization. "Lord Pein has inclosed the final orders."

A pale hand reached out and accepted the document containing the dictations. A signet ring cast a quick gleam of reflecting moonlight over the Shu kanji centered on the fourth finger of a masculine right hand, short black nails contrasted starkly against the exposed pallid skin.

"The mission is to be completed by the end of the week. Lord Pein is expecting you and Kisame to report back to me at the stronghold in the Earth Country at a respectable distance from Kika Island. You must hasten yourselves to retreat to the base upon completion in the utmost discretion that this mission must be carried out with."

"Understood," The dark form stepped into the glow of the moon, exposing the void features of Uchiha Itachi. "Thank you, Zetsu." He said, tucking the parchment into the confines of his own cloak, intending to destroy it once he had fully scanned over the mission details.

The monestrous messenger didn't respond and Itachi watched as his body slowly began to sink into the ground below. Disappearing into the earth. Within moments, he was alone and he turned to make his way back into the quiet port town of Kika Island.

_-_

It seemed Tsunade was putting her on less missions and more hospital duty theses days, Sakura mused idly, twirling her pinky around the moist rim of her glass. Not that she minded. But hospital work lacked a certain quality of excitement that you only got on a mission to retrieve a stolen scroll, or escort some dandy from one extravagant palace to another. They held a particular element of surprise that meant you never knew what dangerous event might happen next.

Sakura sighed and took another sip of her water as she leaned her cheek into her hand. Tsunade had shipped her off the Sea Country to graciously offer Konoha's aid and support to the pathetically small Medical Center at Kika Island. A rapid outbreak of influenza had ravaged the humble town and the local medical team was dismally shorthanded and ill-equipped to handle the virus.

The endlessly tropical equatorial views along the seashores were gorgeous and stunning, but she'd barely even found a chance to appraise or enjoy the resplendent weather with the demands of her job.

She had been sent down to head the small crew of nurses dispatched to the remote island. Now, she sat in the dark corner of a bar, sipping water and flicking peanuts across her booth. They had been reluctant to let her in the pub at first, 'No kids allowed,' they'd said. Until she flashed them her Konoha hitai-ite and suddenly they had no objections to the young medic nin who'd been sent save them from their woes. Being a shinobi had its perks sometimes.

Besides, it was either this place or that family restaurant down the street. At least in here she wouldn't have to hear the piercing wale of babies screaming their lungs out. She'd had enough of that from the Medic Center today. Not that she didn't like children, she loved them. But it was difficult not to hear those cries and feel either annoyance because they simply wouldn't shut up, or grief because she knew most of them were sick, ailing and in pain.

A loud crash from across the room caught her attention and her eyes strayed over to investigate.

She quirked a brow and almost had to blink twice, just to make sure her vision wasn't going bad. There was a _blue _man sitting at a table at the other end of the bar. Well, that's a skin color you don't see everyday. Curiosity, however, was cut short and morphed into dismay as the man threw his glass onto the floor and released a spew of impressively vulgar curses, a few of which even she had never heard before.

"You call this shit sake?" He bellowed.

"It's the same thing you've been drinking for the past three hours, sir." The waiter stuttered nervously. If her eyes weren't deceiving her, she'd have to say it looked like that man actually had gills.

"Yeah, and it tastes like horse manure!"

Sakura bit back a laugh, cackling under her breath...and just how exactly did he know what horse manure tasted like?

"Bring me something stronger than this cheap crap." He leaned back in his chair and pulled a Kiseru out from a long, deep red coat he had draped over the edge of the table. The coat appeared to have been pulled inside out, judging by the seams sticking out.

"I'm sorry, sir, there's no smoking in here." This time, it was the bartender who approached him. An irritated look possessed both of their features. When the blue man didn't acknowledge his statement and began to light the end of the spout, the old bartender reached down and snatched the pipe from his patron. "No. Smoking." He enunciated the words.

His face turned near murderous and Sakura suddenly decided to keep her eyes sharp, sensing there would probably be trouble. Sad, really, how quickly these things went from humorous to hazardous. Still, individuals who worked in places like this often new how to handle such situations. She wouldn't involve herself or give assistance unless it was absolutely crucial and necessary.

In the next instant, however, without warning, there was a quick flash of blue light and Sakura felt her pulse surge. For the moment after she had simply blinked her eyes, the old mans head was rolling on the floor. "What the–?" Her shocked gasp was just one of many filling the air, a scream and several horrified testimonies from the occupants in the small bar hummed in her ears.

"Don't. Touch. My. Kiseru." The man positively growled, articulating each enunciation of every word as if in mocking of the old man's previous command. Standing over the body and showing off rows of serrated teeth in an ugly snarl.

Before panicked screams were elicited and the crowd of people could react, Sakura felt a disruptive flow of chakra enter her body. Things began to sway and she sensed herself drifting away from reality. She had only just begun to hear a pair muffled voices conversing amongst themselves, but they were fading fast. Her eyes began to close...things seemed to be smoothing over. Everything was going back to normal, people were drinking quietly at their tables, conversing amongst themselves. She was sipping her water, musing over her busy day.

No, wait.

This was...

Her heart thumped, recognizing the technique easily enough before letting herself fall completely victim. This was a genjutsu.

In a pub?

What was going on?

She'd barely been able to discern it before it had completely consumed her lucid reasoning and voluntary thought processing. And at the moment, she was scantily holding onto her own faculties. If she could reject it before the genjutsu took over, she might break free.

Quickly, before the invading chakra had a chance to react thoroughly and dominate her whole body, Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on accumulating her own chakra, building up a resistance to push through her system.

The genjutsu was rather weak, she noted. Either that or it had been easier to expel because it hadn't beget an opportunity to have taken hold of her full cognitive senses. She was certain if it had, she would have, most likely, been rendered helpless. Of course, there was also the possibility the tactic had purposefully been weak. After all, whomever had cast it probably hadn't expected a kunoichi to be amongst the recipients.

Sakura released a slow breath as she felt her vision begin to clear and her chakra return to balance. The haze that had been surrounding her dispelled and she kept her senses on high alert. Every one of the townsfolk who'd been enjoying their drinks only moments before, were each frozen in a catatonic state. Eyes heavy lidded and heads lulled lifelessly to the side.

Those voices, the ones she had heard just seconds before the genjutsu had begun to take hold, were still talking in the corner opposite to her side of the room.

"....you must dispose of the body, Kisame." A soft, low pitched male voice reached her ears.

Sakura glanced over and noticed another man had joined the blue-skinned murderer. His back was to her, preventing her from seeing his face. Neither of them seemed to be dressed in the common garb the locals were wearing. Sandals, dark pants and fishnet tops. They looked like shinobi.

The taller man grumbled something indistinguishable and bent down to retrieve the beheaded corpse, swinging it over his shoulder and splattering blood everywhere.

"You mustn't forget," The unidentified one spoke again, his long hair falling past his shoulders, contained within a tie at the base of his neck. He, too, seemed to have a crimson coat draped over his arm. It appeared to be turned inside out just as the other had been, hiding the printed design that remained on the exterior. "...that we must make ourselves as abstruse as possible." The voice sounded very hollow and empty, teetering on monotone.

"Eh, you know how I get when I drink."

"Then, perhaps, you should not drink."

"Kinda hard not to, when we keep getting dull missions like these."

Sakura gasped quietly and narrowed her verdant eyes. Mission? Who were these people?

The younger man turned his head slightly upon hearing the noise, enabling her with a vague glance of his profile. Thin lips, a straight nose and a strong jaw line. She sunk further into the shadow of her booth and held her breath, waiting to see if they had noticed her. Her eyes gauged every move they made, her body on full alert as she suppressed her chakra, hoping they could not sense her presence.

"Come," He said after retrieving the decapitated head. Her alert gaze never left the pair as they silently retreated out the door. Seconds later Sakura pushed herself from her seat and immediately followed, peeking her head out the front entrance before sliding around the corner of the building to scan the area. She searched for any traces or hints of unusual chakra in the vicinity, knowing they would probably be difficult to find if they suspected a hound. After all, they had already cast a memory erasing jutsu over the occupants of the pub, a blatant attempt at concealing their presence from ever having being there. It was obvious they didn't want to be regarded or apprehended.

_There... _Sakura thought as she felt a brief fluctuation of chakra, calculating it to be at least several blocks east of her current position. It was probably the drunk one having troubles masking his chakra, she surmised. Quickly, she advanced from one building to the next until she closed in on the area she had sensed the fluctuation occur.

Sakura landed in the empty street, scouting around for any sign of the mysterious duo. She was having a major problem with what had happened back at that bar. That was cold-blooded murder, her conscious wouldn't allow her to let them go unpunished, even if it wasn't her currently assigned mission. And if she couldn't stop them, she'd at least report them and request back up from Konoha, Tsunade would surely understand. Then again, the Umi no Kuni was not exactly paying them for their services of tending the to the unwell, let alone to eradicate renegade shinobi...and she knew how stubborn the woman could be when it came to money.

Her eyes caught sight of a shadow turning another corner and she chased after it, zeroing in quickly on the figure.

But, when she rounded that very same corner, there was nothing but an empty alley.

She bit her cheek and narrowed her eyes. They had to be here somewhere. She clenched her fists and tensed her body as she started walking slowly into the darky passage.

Sakura gasped in shock as a pair of cold hands wrapped around her wrists from behind and pinned her to a wall, her arms above her head. She wrenched and struggled against her captor, demanding to be released as a body was pressed flush against hers to restrain her.

"If you insist on following," The very same hushed voice from the bar spoke quietly behind her. "I will have no choice but to kill you."

_Like hell_... She thought.

She tried to turn her head, but a hand came down and grabbed a chunk of her hair, pressing her face into the brick of the partition she was imprisoned against. Sakura channeled as much chakra into her arms as she could muster in an endeavor to break her wrists free of his constraints.

His grasp did not abate with her continued efforts and he examined the small girl under his control. So, she was the one who had broken through his genjutsu? Judging by what he'd gathered from her aptitude thus far, she'd only been able to do so because he hadn't cast the genjutsu with any great amount of effort. He'd done so in the assumption that only the average civilians of the port town had pervaded the lounge, it was necessary for him to keep the illusion to a minimum to spare such fragile minds.

Too much chakra sent through the system of an unmitigated mind and body, would undoubtedly kill them. But, he hadn't suspected a kunoichi to be among them. There were very few shinobi in this community and most of them were nothing but weak, cheaply contracted nin from Water Country. Was she from the Hidden Mist, as well?

Still, her physical strength was unusually, if not excessively, at an immense high. Those tiny fists of hers were the underlying deceptive ammunition in her artillery, as long as they were subjugated, she was no real menace. He could sense her chakra and although it was far below what might qualify as a threat, it was in perfect balance.

What a strange girl...

She nearly cursed after her attempts proved fruitless. Even if her formidable strength could not overcome his restraints, she would not secede willingly. "You can't just go around killing people," She hissed over her shoulder. "I won't let you get away with it."

He was silent for a moment. "I did not kill him." He replied, his voice dispassionate.

"Your friend did and then you cast that genjutsu to hide yourselves." She accused. "Who are you?" She demanded.

"The civilians will awaken by the morning with no recollection of those events. If you are smart, you will do the same to forget what you have seen."

"Do you think that man's family will forget? How can I dismiss something so cruel?" She nearly frowned at the lack of emotion in his tone, if she could have seen his face, she'd expect it to be just as callous. "That man was innocent, it's bastard's like you who ruin lives and spoil the peace for everyone else." Sakura grit her teeth, trying to keep her voice as calm as his, but was having a hard time containing the fury burning throughout her insides.

Her ideals were endearing, but he did not have the time or the patience to humor her preachings of good and evil.

She began to writhe again in frustration, but he subdued her easily enough. If she continued on like this, he would most certainly have to kill her, a scenario he would rather prefer to avoid. He could not afford to have yet another liability putting the mission at jeopardy. The scene Kisame had made at the bar had been one risk too many.

Sakura's eyes suddenly widened as she felt his hand start groping around her waist. "What are you–?!" His fingers pried and searched, dipping into the pockets of her white skirt. Her legs started kicking, attempting to break free. "Stop it!" She snapped over her shoulder when his palm slid under the hem around her mid-thigh, frisking and gliding over her flesh until he switched to the other. Sakura's face bloomed a soft shade of red when his fingers grazed over the apex between, she nearly squeaked as her cheeks puffed out in fury.

Her hands clenched as she twisted and tussled to no avail. Apparently not finding what he was searching for, the hand moved up and reached under the short, black tank top that had begun to ride up her midriff in the struggle. She frowned at the sensation of his cold hands exploring her skin, continuously moving upward in an impetuously inconsiderate hunt something unknown.

"No..._don't_..." She whispered in humiliation when his fingers skimmed over her breasts. In that instance, she wished she'd worn her bindings instead of her bra, they'd certainly offer more protection. But the only time she wore bindings over her chest were on strenuous missions, they were suffocating and unsuitable for daily hospital chores. Her eyes shut tightly when he dipped into the left cup and reached for the small purse she'd kept hidden there. She shivered when she felt his thumb brush over her nipple as he started to pull the pouch into his hand.

The eyes she'd just clenched shut, now shot open when she realized what he was doing.

Was he seriously _pickpocketing_ her?

In one last desperate effort, Sakura gathered all her strength and wrenched her whole body. For a moment, she had thought it worked. The hand cuffing her wrists let go and she started to whirl around, fingers curled tightly in preparation for a punch fully intended for his face.

But, in the next instant, she felt the tips of his fingers softly touch on three of her tenketsu. Sending his own chakra pulsing into those points and blocking precisely specific pressure points in her chakra pathway.

Before she knew what happened, everything went white.

Itachi caught the girl as she slumped to the ground, temporarily rendered unconscious. He bent down on one knee and supported her back with the other as her legs folded beneath her. Her head lulled into his elbow as he tucked his arm under her neck and examined her face.

She was young and healthy with delicate, round features and long lashes. His eyes wandered up to the well polished hitai-ite she used to pull back her short, rosette hair. He saw the leaf.

Konohagakure.

Opening the small purse he'd confiscated from her, he searched the contents. Some cash, a tube of pink lipstick and a key.

Itachi retracted the key and closed the purse back up as he read over the metal engraved inscription. Kyakushoubai Kika Hotel.

"Itachi," Kisame called down to him from a nearby rooftop. "Are you gonna kill her or what? We got work to do." His words were faintly slurred.

Itachi slid his other arm under her knees and lifted her from the ground. Seconds later, he was standing next to Kisame. "She is a Konoha kunoichi," He stated quietly. "If she is accompanied by others, they will surely notice her absence and investigate. We must not attract more attention than necessary."

Kisame narrowed his hairless brows.

"You know, Pein's eventually gonna say something if you continue to let them Leaf pipsqueaks off the hook all the time."

Itachi's vermilion eyes slid over to the taller man, but said nothing.

Kisame swallowed quietly, once again having to remind himself to keep his tongue in check every time he had a few drinks too many. He was a fairly agreeable guy, most of the time. Comments just had the bad habit of happening to accidently slip out, occasionally. Without much concern, he eyed the limp girl in his partners arms. A little too cute for a kunoichi, he thought. But that was just his own personal opinion. Kinda hard to be intimidating with pink hair. "Alright, I'll get rid of this body," He said, running over the numerous possibilities he could execute to dispose of it.

Burn it. Throw it over the cliff into the sea. Feed it to some dogs. Inebriated as he was, blowing it up sounded pretty fun right now. He was sure if Deidara were here, he'd be up for it.

Shifting the dead weight of the corpse over his shoulder, he held the head by the root of the hair in his hand. Blood still dripped from the clean cut across the neck onto the shingles of the roof beneath their feet. His beady, white eyes fell to the girl again. That was when he noticed Itachi's hands shaking almost imperceptibly, clutching around her knees and shoulder.

Looked like the kid was having another one of his 'episodes'. He should probably leave so he could fix himself up again, or whatever it was he did to himself. Besides, he didn't particularly enjoy seeing the guy like that. Kisame cleared his throat. "I'll just meet back up with you after you take care of it."

He saw Itachi incline his head wordlessly. And then they split up.

-

When Sakura awoke the next morning, it took her a few minutes to recount the events of the previous night. She quickly examined her body, finding no injuries or bruising and noticed her purse had been placed on the bedside table, none of the contents were missing. She was having trouble understanding and comprehending the motive behind the two mysterious men. Why were they on Kika Island? What was this 'mission'?

This place was about as prosperous as a grain of salt. It was a small, poor, remote, barely inhabited and politically neutral country. There was nothing here for anyone to profit from except fishing and trading. And even then, most of those active enterprises took place on the main island of Haha.

She would have to write to Tsunade and report the strange happenings. Perhaps she would send a team to investigate.

Glancing at the clock, she'd realized she had overslept. Further pondering could to wait until later, she had work to do. Pushing herself out of bed, Sakura entered her bathroom to perform her usual morning routine. Bath, brush her teeth, style her hair, powder her face and put on mascara and lipstick– the full extent of makeup she wore.

Dressed in her simple white skirt and snug black tank, she headed out of her hotel room and hurried down the streets until she reached the Medical Center she was currently staffed at.

"Good morning, Sakura-san," A short, blonde woman greeted her as she walked in the door.

"Hello, Atsuko-san," She returned with a smile. "How are our patients today?" She asked as she retrieved her long, white medical haori from her locker and draped it over her shoulders.

The middle aged woman moved out from behind the front desk, motioning for her to follow. "Nani's been asking for you, _again_." She laughed softly and lead her toward the child's bed. A bed that was only one of many occupied cots that filled and proliferated the two floors of the Kika Medical building. It made Sakura's heart ache. She wanted to cure them all, but the treatment couldn't rely on chakra alone, not like the necessity of physical injuries. Medicines and potions were the basic remedy for this disease and with the island's remote location, lacking funds and few medical personnel, the needed antidotes and help required to tend to the sick were in dishearteningly low numbers.

"You have a visitor," Atsuko leaned over a small bundle of blankets on a clean, white cot. She nudged an adolescent girl and jostled her shoulder tenderly. Sakura watched as she stirred in her sleep and began to roll over.

"Sakura-chan," She child's blue eyes lit up the moment she saw her. Sakura gently pushed her back down onto the pillow when she tried to wearily sit up, it was obvious the act was too strenuous for the child.

"And how have you been this morning?" Sakura offered the warmest smile in her arsenal as she sat next to her on the bed and Atsuko handed her Nani's vitals chart.

"I'm still tired." Nani almost whispered, her voice was so drained.

"Where you up all night coughing again?" She asked, clicking her pen out and scribbling something down. Just then the girl started hacking and Sakura grabbed a cloth by her night stand to wipe at the blood that spattered from her mouth and stuck to Nani's chin. She looked up with concerned eyes to Atsuko.

"She was doing that all night, the poor thing barely got any sleep." Her colleague confirmed.

Sakura continued to check the girls vitals. Her heartbeat, temperature and took a sample of blood, using her chakra to dull the pain in Nani's arm as the needle pierced her skin. She jotted down one last thing on the clipboard before standing. "I'll be right back," She ruffled her brown hair softly. "I have to go check on your blood work before your sister gets here. She'll want to know how you're doing."

The bedridden girl offered up no complaints as she eased her head back down, exhausted.

She excused herself and walked down the hall until she reached the end and swung open the doors of a room tucked away in the back of the building.

"Hello, Sakura-san," A masculine voice reached her ears as she strode into the lab.

She glanced up from her clipboard and smiled. "Oh, good morning, Dr. Ikkaku." Hideyoshi Ikkaku was the owner and founder of the Kika Island Medical Center, acting as head doctor and staff manager. A handsome, middle aged and mild mannered individual, who at times oddly reminded her of Kakashi. "Any word on that shipment, yet?"

He shook his head solemnly. "The medicine still has not arrived."

"I see," She sighed. They were depending on that cargo.

"What have you got there?" He asked curiously and walked over to investigate what she had placed under the high-reflective microscope to examine.

"Nani's blood work." She answered. "Take a look at the virion cells," She frowned and moved to the side to let him observe.

"The red blood cells are deteriorating at an excessively high standard and there's twice as many viral cells as there were yesterday. Her leucocytes are less than a third of the relative percentage." He continued to inspect the micro-agent as he adjusted the objective lense. "What happened to her over night?" He mumbled to himself.

"Take a look at the virus's genome. What else do you see?" Her face was more serious than usual.

"It...it's mutated." His voice lowered. "Already?"

"If it continues like this, even the medicine we're getting shipped in won't be of much help. The A strain just continues to adapt at a rapid rate." Without vain, Sakura could admit she was one of the highest regarded medical nin in Konoha. This helplessness was just frustrating. "Nani was coughing up blood this morning," She sighed.

"Pneumonia." The doctor stated, knowing all too well how the disease ravaged and crippled children's immunities.

Sakura tossed her clipboard onto the counter and vexingly pulled at the sides of her white lab haori in chagrin. "This is killing me. Sitting here watching all these people die of a virus that's easily curable with modern medicine. And the children are going even faster, falling prey to pneumonia from their weakened states."

"It is a hard pill to swallow," Ikkaku agreed quietly, she could see the lines of stress on his features. "If the neuraminidase inhibitors do not arrive in time, we can only expect the worst."

"We need to vaccinate the whole island," Sakura muttered.

"The vaccination is being shipped along with the M2 protein." He stated.

"Yes, but by the time it gets here, everyone on the island will be infected."

She rubbed at her temples, wondering how many times she had run the scenarios over and over in her mind.

"Excuse me, Sakura-san," Atsuko knocked on frame of the door to alert her presence. "Nani's sister is hear to see her."

Sakura glanced over to Ikkaku, frowning. "This isn't going to be easy." She sighed yet again, pushing away from the counter and left the room. It was always hard having to break the bad news to the family.

Retracing her steps up the hall, Sakura returned to the patient quarters. When she entered the room, she saw a young woman leaning over Nani, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Sakura smiled at the affectionate sight. The two looked so much alike, same brown hair, same blue eyes and same pretty face.

"Chiyoko, it's good to see you again so early this morning." Sakura smiled politely and ambled up to the woman and the three bodyguards that customarily accompanied her. Her kimono was lavish and beautiful, her features well kempt and her eyes were stunningly sharp. Chiyoko Matsumoto was the Daimyou of Sea Country's daughter.

"Haruno-san, thank you so much for caring for Nani," Chiyoko's smile was warm and full of passion as she glanced back down to her younger sibling, running her fingers over the child's sweaty brow to brush away stray hairs.

"How is your father?" She asked amicably.

A sad look came over her expression. "He writes that he is doing well," She said. "But he still remains in seclusion on the main island until the epidemic has been contained." Sakura didn't miss the underlying anger and sense of abandonment in her tone.

Chiyoko was the only one of her family who had stayed behind on the remote island, refusing to leave her sister alone in such a sickly and unhealthy state. Sakura could understand the logic of evacuation, but in her mind, only cowards left their children behind to such desolation. She could barely stand to forsake her friends, let alone her family, amidst such a catastrophic outbreak. Or in any other bereft situation, for that matter.

"You have been such a blessing to this island and my sister, Haruno-san," Chiyoko began. "I can't thank you enough."

Listening to this was making it harder for her to gather up the courage to explain that Nina had succumb to pneumonia and in such deplorable condition that her body was in, if the medicine didn't come soon...Nina had fewer than five days to live.

"Please, Chiyoko, I really don't deserve such praise,"

"No, I must implore you to come to dinner tonight to show my gratitude. We are holding a small feast in honor of the arrival of my fiancé."

"You're getting married?" Sakura was briefly stunned.

Chiyoko's brown eyes slid to the floor. "Yes, well, the engagement did not occur until just this passing week." She didn't seem as happy as one might assume a bride-to-be should have been. "My father arranged the marriage to take place this weekend."

"Your father arranged it?" Sakura grit her teeth. How disgusting. His youngest daughter was on her deathbed...and he was arranging for the other to be married off. He was probably profiting from it in some way, as well.

The older girl was silent, a despairingly forlorn look in her eyes. "Should I expect you tonight?" She finally spoke up with a hopeful voice. "I would be very happy if you came."

"Of course," Sakura nodded compliantly. "I would be delighted. There are a few things that I must speak with you on about Nina, would it be too imposing if we could discuss it then?"

"No, that would be convenient." Chiyoko smiled again, rather weakly, as if she was expecting the bad news and knew it was coming. "I'm looking forward to your company,"

"Me too," Sakura lied. She never looked forward to telling anyone their sister was about to die. "Have a nice day," And with that, Sakura dismissed herself from the room to go about her duties. Tending to other patients and waiting anxiously for the vaccine to arrive.

-

"May I help you?" A burly man with a bald head approached her as she walked up the steps to the expansive Matsumoto household. It was built much on the same premise of the Hyuuga dwellings, but fractionally smaller in effect of the diminutive size of the island.

"Um, yes," Sakura bit her lip. "I'm Sakura Haruno, I've been the medic tending to Nina Matsumoto. Chiyoko had invited me to the dinner tonight." She explained.

Sakura squirmed a bit in her long, red kimono as the man's beady eyes examined her. "So, you're the woman who's been caring for Nani?" He leaned in to hover over her ominously, making her appear smaller than she already was. The beams of the setting sun reflected off the glint of his shiny head as he tilted his chin.

"Yes," She affirmed again, tapping her painted toenails on the wood of her geta sandals nervously. Feeling awkward and uncomfortable under such scrutiny.

The mans eyes softened suddenly and he reached out with a chubby hand to take hers and shake it vigorously as he bowed low. "Thank you so much, Haruno-san. You don't know how much it means to the whole Matsumoto clan the efforts that you have put forth."

Sakura blinked, slightly dazed.

"We are certain that Nani will fully recover under the care of such a well renowned kunoichi, and a student of the great Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, no less. My gratitude is endless, we are deeply indebted to you." He sounded near to tears and Sakura placed her hand atop of his, offering a calming smile.

"I assure you I will do everything I can to help Nina and the rest of the villagers." That was a promise she fully intended to uphold to the best of her ability. She watched as the man straightened his posture, turning quickly and wiping under his eyes as if to hide the fact he'd been crying.

He cleared his throat as his voice attempted to level out. "Come, this way," He motioned for her to follow as he guided her into the house.

"Haruno-san has arrived, Matsumoto-sama," He announced her and slid open the thin shoji door, ushering her into the room where Chiyoko was sitting in solitude and silence.

"Good evening," The brunette stood to greet her as she advanced into the suite.

"Hello, Chiyoko," Each of them bowed respectively, lifting their heads to smile at one another once her escort had left.

"How was Nani this afternoon before you left the Center?" Chiyoko asked in concern.

"Sleeping," Sakura giggled softly. "You should have seen her in the activities room with the other children. She's very intelligent for such a young girl, she was arguing with another boy over who would win if they played Sugoroku. I think she secretly likes him." She tucked a strand of her rosette hair behind her ears, as it had fallen from the loose french twist that she had secured with a black chopstick hairpiece.

"I'm so happy that she is still social. Dr. Ikkaku does a wonderful job with the patients, but even I could see that he was devastatingly overwhelmed. Since you and your associates arrival, things have improved so much." Sakura blushed again, everyone seemed to be so stuck on her positive and 'uplifting' presence.

The way she saw it, she was just doing her job. She wanted to help these people to her fullest extent.

"I'm thinking of dropping by there after dinner on my way home, would you like to join me? I'm sure Nina would love to see you again."

"That would be wonderful!" Her voice raised above its usual, tranquil pitch. The excitement was clear in her eyes.

Sakura's smile broadened as well, glad to bring some small degree of joy to the normally sober and somber woman. It seemed she had always been forced to uphold comely etiquette at all times, never straying outside the lines of propriety.

"So where is this fiancé of yours?" Her hand rested on her hip, trying not to sound offensive. "I hope he's not as _ambitious _as your father."

Her companion laughed at her statement. The sound was charming and something that rarely came from her lips. "He's waiting for us in the garden. He said he wanted to enjoy the last hour of the evening."

Sakura suppressed the desire to roll her eyes. How corny did that sound when Chiyoko, metaphorically, couldn't even enjoy the last bits of her freedom. "At least tell me he's handsome," She teased as they began to walk down the hall.

The older woman shrugged softly. "I suppose, but he's very quiet." They turned a corner and approached the open doorway leading out into the lush gardens. "I think you will like him, Haruno-san. He's quite affable and polite."

"Sakura," She implored lightly. "I think we've been acquainted long enough, besides, friends don't call each other miss or mister, right?"

"Friends?" Chiyoko whispered and tilted her head, as if the prospect of having such a thing as a 'friend' had never occurred to her. "My friend," She repeated softly, her blue eyes hazing over.

"Yeah," Sakura reached out and took her hand as they walked. The grin she gave her was ardent and sunny, glowing ever more brightly as she felt Chiyoko give her hand a faint squeeze.

As they edged forward to the threshold, hand in hand, a strange and eery sensation swept over Sakura. She glanced ahead, seeing the silhouette of Chiyoko's fiancé waiting in the gardens, his back facing the pair. A tall man in a dark kimono whose image grew clearer as they drew closer.

Her verdant eyes narrowed suspiciously, examining his long, dark hair...tied back at the base of his neck between broad shoulders. "When did your fiancé arrive, Chiyoko?" Sakura asked hastily, her hand tightening its hold.

"Last night," She answered.

It felt as if the walls were narrowing in around her with only one opening. And at the end of that exit stood a dreary shadow.

"Rikuto-san," Chiyoku called out to the figure as they came out onto the veranda.

Sakura watched as he gradually turned his head, revealing a familiar profile in the fading light of the setting sun.

Her steps instantly halted their progression, Chiyoko paused alongside her and glanced back in silent questioning. "Is something wrong?" She asked as she noticed the shocked, wide eyed countenance marring her pretty visage.

"Haruno-san," The man voiced her name as he approached, it was the same apathetic and detached voice that she had heard whispering in her ear last night. He stepped up to the terrace and her heart skipped a beat as her body instinctively tensed. "It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." The words were at once both empty and honest. His eyes were fathomlessly black and devoid of any warmth, hanging over deep set lines of stress beneath his lashes. His face remained reserved and his skin was an unhealthily ashen shade of ivory. She watched behind skeptical eyes, his bow that was shallow and his movements were precise.

"Sakura, this is Rikuto Ryuunosuke, he is the prince of Cha no Kuni and my fiancé."

Pushing back her confusion, anger and trepidation, Sakura bowed in return, biting her bottom lip hard to prevent herself from cursing. "The pleasure is all mine." She said icily, raising her eyes to his as the last rays of the sun flickered away under the horizon.

-

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**I don't know jack about viruses and influenza. I had to research most of it, so please excuse any mistakes.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

-

_Evanescent like the scent of decay, I was fading from the race  
When in despair, my darkest days ran amok and forged her face_

_And cold was my soul, untold was the pain, I faced when you left me, a rose in the rain  
Sick and weak from my condition, you're a prayer for my loneliness_

_-_

"I hope your journey was pleasant, Rikuto-san," Sakura upheld the amicable charade easily enough. Upon her urging, Chiyoko had sat by her side at the short table in the dining room. Each of them with their feet tucked properly beneath their legs, kimono's folded neatly under their weight on the tatami floor mats.

"It was tiresome," The man postured across the table replied quietly and lifted his cup of sake to take a sip.

"Yes, it is a long trip," She mentioned agreeably, recalling the prolonged voyage. "How is the weather this time of year in Tea Country?"

"Mild,"

Sakura waited a bit longer, as if expecting more than just a one worded answer. When none came, she wrinkled her nose marginally. Chiyoko was correct in judging that he was painfully polite, but his conversational skills were definitely lacking. "How are you enjoying your stay on the island, so far?" Her hands folded in her lap, hiding them under the table and wringing them almost nervously.

"Kika Island has many endearing qualities," The cup was placed silently back onto the table. He said it so dully, like he didn't actually mean the words, like he'd only spoken them simply because they were the appropriate thing to say.

"Rikuto-san particularly seems to enjoy our beaches here," Chiyoko said, elegantly reaching over the table to refill his glass. "He said the reefs are quite beautiful."

"So, Chiyoko has already given you a tour?" Her bright eyes briefly softened from their rigid scrutiny as she glanced at the other woman.

"Just this morning," He replied in a distant voice.

"I took him after my visit with Nina," Chiyoko annotated. The mention of the young girl made the stress on Sakura's shoulders even more burdensome. Chiyoko was already being led into a marriage Sakura suspected she didn't want, how could she tell her that her sister was dying? Not to mention, Sakura was having serious doubts on this Rikuto fellow's character. "I'm hoping we might go visit her after dinner, would you like to come along, as well, Rikuto-san?" Chiyoko asked timidly, seemingly unable to meet his eyes. "It would be very nice if you could meet her."

Sakura paled. She wasn't sure how comfortable she was with the thought of letting this man into the Medical Center. By all accounts, she considered him a liable threat. Parading him around Nina and her other patients made her stomach revolt.

"Of course, Chiyoko-san," He closed his eyes slowly as he nodded smoothly, agreeing to accompany them.

There was something about him that seemed to habitually catch her eye. The more she examined his face, the more his image became familiar. Yet, the memories remained elusive, for she knew she had never met him, at least that she could ever recall. It was his eyes, she realized, that felt so intrinsic. Deep onyx, very intense and very...sad. She had seen eyes like that somewhere before. Something remained unbalanced within them, however, because they were faded and lackluster. The sculpted lines of his face evoked waves of nostalgia that she could not push away.

"I'm curious, Rikuto-san," Sakura edged cautiously, easing her voice into a lighter tone. "With the island in such a dismal state and near quarantine, is it wise for you to have come here? It may be unhealthy." Her comments seemed to have no effect on his serene demeanor. She didn't buy the act for a second.

It was Chiyoko who decided to answer her. "Actually, my father had originally arranged for me to leave Kika for the main island. But, Rikuto-san was gracious enough to forestall such plans after hearing of my sisters condition and how I wished to stay by her side." She explained. "I am obliged to his courteous efforts,"

Sakura's eyes slid from Chiyoko to the man whom she was certain was an imposter. His mannerisms were too cold and callous to be such a considerate individual. Without sounding churlish, unscrupulous or biased, she could say she knew how socialites of the upper crust operated. They were never so gallant and chivalrous, always looking out for their own well-being and self-interests. Only a fool would come to such an infected island without a strong cause.

When the food was served, Sakura decided any further conversations could wait to be discussed over tea.

An elderly woman entered the room and placed each dish in its respective position. Spreading the meal out before them. The warm aroma of calamari along with other spices and herbs filled her senses. The meal was a perfect balance of taste, texture and presentation. Everything one might expect from cha-kaiseki. Miso soup served with the traditional mukozuke, nimono and yakimono appropriate for the occasion and accompanied by a extra side of sekihan.

As they began to eat in silence, Sakura glanced up from her plate, watching curiously as Rikuto ran his fingers along his chopsticks until he found the thickest end before lifting them from their resting block. He seemed to do the same for the bowl containing sekihan, skimming along the edges as if scouting the area before meticulously dipping into the rice and bringing it to his mouth without dropping a single grain.

She observed as he continued this behavior throughout the dinner, almost as if his fingers were searching for each little utensil before reaching for it. It was something barely perceptible and she had momentarily wondered if it may have been just an odd personal quirk of his. He did seem kind of strange. That is, until she noticed his eyes. They were unfocused and rarely aiming in the proper area his fingers were feeling for.

Sakura frowned.

He was either blind or desperately in need of some bifocals, she deduced.

Picking up a piece of her calamari, she chewed silently and stored the tidbit of information away in her brain.

"How would you like to prepare our tea, Rikuto-san?" Chiyoko asked as the table was cleared. "The matcha you brewed last night was quite amazing."

"I would be honored," His eyes slid rather coarsely over to Sakura. "But, I'm sure Haruno-san would be much better at it then I." He disagreed lightly, suggesting her instead, offering her up to perform the painstaking process that he was obviously too lazy to do himself. Was this payback for the harsh, prodding stares she'd been giving him?

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth as he caught her off guard, the comment had not been expected. It had been made to sound like a compliment, but she knew better.

"Would you, Sakura?" Chiyoko asked, smiling over at her. Sakura swallowed the knot that had suddenly popped up in her throat. She was terrible at making tea, but it would have been too embarrassing to decline on account of the fact that it would taste horrible. Then again, it might hurt her pride just as much when they found out for themselves.

"Um, I guess," She quickly eased out of the dumbfounded look on her face and smiled frugally in return. With the chadogu spread out before her, she sighed, bit her lip and began the uneventful execution of prepping the tea as usucha...

An undetermined amount of time later, after finally finishing the temae, she poured each of them a cup and smiled anxiously as Chiyoko received hers.

Sakura closed her eyes, praying it didn't dissolve their taste buds...well, maybe Rikuto's could dissolve and she wouldn't feel so guilty.

It was going to taste bad...she just knew it...

"It's delicious," Chiyoko praised honestly. "You're very good at this."

"Wow, really?" She lifted her eyebrows in mild surprise and took a sip from her own cup. Hm, not bad... "Well, I don't really do it that much," She blushed, slightly flattered as Chiyoko began to take another loud sip. With a partial grin on her lips, Sakura turned to inquire Rikuto if the tea was satisfactory. But, her smile quickly faded as she watched him begin to lift the cup to his lips, his hands subtly shaking, his eyes closed as his brows were tautly drawn together.

"Rik–?"

"If you will excuse me," He uttered quietly and deftly placed his cup back onto the table with some small degree of effort not to spill the contents. "I think I am in need of some fresh air," Was all he offered as he stood and left the room.

Chiyoko peered up from her tea bowl, her baby blue eyes peeking over the brim as she looked at Sakura and shrugged at her questioning glance before tipping the bowl to continue sipping the delicious concoction.

After several minutes had passed, Sakura's notorious curiosity got the best of her. "I should probably go check on him. He may be ill," She said as she pushed up from the table, excusing herself. Using her medic status as an alibi to chase after him, when she really intended to corner and confront him. "I'll be right back,"

Creeping down the halls of the house, she hoped her thick socks would be enough to muffle her footsteps as she kept her chakra deeply suppressed. When she found the entrance to the gardens again, she glimpsed around the shoji door and scanned the lush, green oasis.

A raspy, shallow breath reached her ears and her sharp eyes immediately found him standing at the end of the veranda, leaning against a post under the bamboo awning, a hand clutching at his side. The moment her eyes landed in him, however, his breathing calmed and his body relaxed. His eyes quickly trained themselves to release the tension that had been wrinkling his brows as he rolled his head back to rest against the post behind him. Camouflaging the fact that he had been supporting himself wearily against the pillar to make it seem as if he were simply lazing about and enjoying the night air.

Sakura wrapped her fingers around the edge of the door as she stepped partially onto the patio, her movements almost sheepish and hesitant. Gazing at him in concern that she could not explain. She should not care if there was something wrong with this man, right? She didn't trust him.

"It is impolite to sneak up on unassuming people, Haruno-san." He closed his eyes, his statement almost sounded like teasing.

She glided out from behind the shoji and approached him. He did not look like he belonged in such a setting. A gloomy portrait surrounded by vibrant tropical shrubbery, giant hibiscus, palm trees and the exotic bloom of passion flowers.

Sakura lifted her chin to look up to him, giving the suspicious man a scowling look. "Who are you?" She demanded softly.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze retreating into the horizon. Twilight settled into a creamy grey under the glow of the moon as it steadily rose in the sky. It was not yet late enough for the heavy cloak of dark blue to overcome the land that accompanied the deep hours of the night. "Such an expression is unbecoming on such lovely features," He evaded her question, the flicker of one of many lanterns glared down on them from above, casting his profile in harsh relief to the candlelight. Almost excessively bringing out the craggy grooves beneath his eyes in discordant shadows.

So he wasn't blind, she thought. That, or he was just guessing at the menacing glower on her face by the tone of her voice. "I asked you a question," Sakura's hand slid inconspicuously along her arm, reaching further into the long sleeve of her red kimono for the kunai she had strapped above her elbow. "Who are you?" Although her jaw was clenched tight, her words came out tenuously unthreatening.

He closed his eyes again, as if he were ignoring her, which only irritated her further. Why wasn't he reacting? "You should not have abandoned Chiyoko-san." He chided without a smile. "She will be lonely without us."

He removed his weight from the pillar and began to walk away.

In the next instant, Sakura was behind him, the flat side of a kunai pressed to his throat. "I shouldn't have to repeat myself," She flicked the blade until the sharp edge was touching his skin. Badgering him for an explanation. "_Who are you_ and what do you want with Chiyoko?"

"I am ignorant to your questions, Haruno-san," He replied calmly, feigning innocence. "Should I be afraid?"

Sakura held back a growl, he was _mocking _her.

She was assured now that he was most certainly a fake. Any other common man would have been appalled, alarmed and offended, if not frightened, of her interrogating behavior. This Rikuto wasn't even shocked by her audacious and brazen attempts at intimidation. "I won't allow you to hurt her," She whispered with resolute determination, knowing that getting answers from him would be impossible at this point.

"Shall we go inside, now, Haruno-san?" The way he kept saying her name was making her skin crawl disquietingly.

Releasing a slowly breath, she retracted her knife and tucked it back into her sleeve. "Do as you wish," Her voice was low and bereft of its usual hearty kindness.

"Thank you, Haruno-san,"

She chewed her pink lip, lost deep in thought as she watched him disappear back into the house, completely unfazed by her advances. She sighed, feeling a bit deflated and soon followed after, determining that this situation would clearly required further investigation to gather more circumstantial evidence. His gimmick had to have a crack somewhere, she would just have to do whatever it took to find it.

Because Sakura and her illustrious conscious...could never seem to carelessly look the other way when these problematic dilemma's reared their ugly heads.

-

"There is something I must tell you, Chiyoko," Sakura said as the three of them walked down the street, Rikuto trailing the two young women in front of him. By this point, she only called him by such a name for apt conveniences sake.

"What is it, Sakura?" She asked when her steps paused.

"Well, you see..." Sakura glanced back to the man behind them. "Um," She cleared her throat, hoping he would get the message she wanted to speak with her in private.

The man inclined his head slightly. Saying nothing as he strode past the girls, giving a brief, sharp glance to Sakura as he maneuvered around them. A foreboding promise of things to come if she opened her mouth.

Sakura returned the favor. Did he think she was going to tell Chiyoko of her suspicions?

When they were alone, Sakura took a deep breath and began explaining the hard truth about her sisters condition...

"What do you mean five days?" She nearly stuttered.

"I'm sorry, Chiyoko," Her voice was comforting and apologetic. "But if the medication doesn't arrive in time, there's nothing more I can do but ease her pain." She reached out and squeezed her hand, hoping it offered some small solace. "Please, forgive me, I've tried everything I can." Sakura's heart shattered when she saw tears welling up in her eyes.

Sakura had always been a stickler for not getting too close to her patients. She was caring and affectionate with them, but she always warned herself not to get involved. It was too difficult, too dramatic and far too painful to have to do this every time someone had (or was) about to die.

"No, Nani is stronger than that." Chiyoko disagreed, shaking her head vigorously. Sakura had to admire her determination. "She'll get better, even if the medicine doesn't get here." Despite her attempts at grasping for strength, her voice was still broken.

"There is...there's something else you must know," Sakura ventured warily, afraid these next words would sting her more than the first. "Nani also has pneumonia," She hear Chiyoko gasp as her eyes widened. "It...has greatly reduced her chances...of surviving, even if she receives treatment."

"No!" The woman absolutely broke into tears. Guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders. If there was ever a time she was angry that Tsunade had sent her down here, it was now.

"Oh, Chiyoko..._don't cry_." Sakura quickly wrapped her arms around the trembling woman. "Please, you and I both know Nani can get through this, I...I just have to tell you those things to prepare you, that's all." She soothed, holding the woman tightly in her arms. "I'm certain the shipment will arrive soon." She knew she was just sugar coating things.

Sakura had also planned on warning her of Rikuto's questionable intentions. But, seeing her like this had changed her mind. She was certain any more traumatic news would send the woman over the edge of sanity.

When she smoothed a hand over Chiyoko's hair and patted her back, Sakura lifted her eyes, noticing the recognizable shadow of the cryptic con man watching over them from the end of the street. There was an intense look about his eyes that made her uneasy. She frowned at him as he turned away, retreating around the corner and vanishing from her sight.

"Come," Sakura urged. "We should go see her," She placed a hand on her shoulder and ushered the sobbing woman along towards the Center. "You must be strong for her, Chiyoko. You're the only person she has right now."

"Just as you are the only person that I have, Sakura,"

Sakura nearly flinched. She was touched, but, that was a responsibility, she was ashamed to admit, she wasn't certain she could handle right now. With the growing threat of the mutating virus, her patients dropping like flies, the presage of the enigmatic man and her endeavor to protect Chiyoko from said man and thwart his plans...Sakura barely had time to breath, let alone comfort yet another grieving family member of her infected patients.

But, when Chiyoko shot her with those sad, blue eyes that reminded her so much of Naruto...she had to bite her tongue, it was all she could do not to smile. Once again reminded about the true value of a friend.

-

It was plaguing to maneuver throughout the day without the aid of the Sharingan. Getting from place to place was manageable enough, his sight was not completely deteriorated and his innate, highly developed senses were more than adequate to guide him.

It was the smaller things that unnerved him. Finding utensils, picking up a cup that had been placed in front of him, prepping tea, _reading_. That one irked him most of all.

Itachi could not afford the luxury of having his Kekkei Genkai activated while roaming around the town, it was too obvious. Pein had made it clear not to leave any trace or memory of the Akatsuki on Kika Island. '_Hide your cloaks, hide your rings, just don't be seen,_' had been the jist of it. If someone were to apprehend Itachi's Sharingan while incognito as Rikuto Ryuunosuke, prince of Cha no Kuni, the clandestine mission would be spoiled. And even if Akatsuki involvement was not revealed, had the knowledge that he was not whom he claimed to be leaked out, the fruits of their labor would be in vain.

Pein had sent him for obvious reasons. Tasked with the chore of stealing Ryuunosuke's identity, covert operations were just one of many useful faculties that came effortlessly to Uchiha Itachi. Sided with the fact that Itachi was one of the few Akatsuki whom still resembled a normal, unmutilated and conventional human image, his calm mannerisms and the ability to keep a cool head in any situation or quandary were essential to the cause. He never drew attention to himself.

"Nani, this is Rikuto-san," He heard Chiyoko's voice and saw the blurry impression of her leaning over a medical cot. "He's going to be your new brother soon."

"Hello, Rikuto-san," The voice sounded weak and he could detect the strong, familiar scent of illness that clung to her. The girl was about as close to death as he was...he just knew how to cheat himself out of it better.

She lifted her arm and extend her hand for a hand shake instead of a conventional bow, restricted from formalities while bedridden. What a strangely polite girl, he mused, especially for one so young.

Itachi indulged her of the act, reaching out and encompassing her small hand within his, her skin felt as frail as paper and soft as a flower petal. She was feverish to the touch and he bent down to press a gentle kiss on the back of her tiny palm. And even though it had been no more than another meaningless part of his act, he found the blush and silly, girlish laughter that followed was quite endearing and musical. "You're elder sister has told me so much about you, Nani-chan," He said quietly as he straightened his posture.

When he released her hand, it immediately returned to her face, cupping her cheek shyly.

"I've brought you something, Nani," Chiyoko reached into her obi and pulled out a stick of candy. The girls eyes positively lit up. Before she gave it to her, however, Chiyoko bent down to whisper conspiratorially, striking a deal. "But, you have to promise not to tell Sakura, okay? You're not supposed to have contraband."

Nani nodded vigorously and the lighthearted, mirthful giggled that followed nearly eased the heavy frown on his lips. "I will give you some privacy, Chiyoko-san," He said reticently before leaving them in solitude. He could sense the child's life was slipping away, he had no place in that room with them.

"Thank you, I will be out shortly," The woman barely glanced up from her sister, too entrapped with her company. He felt as if he owed her that bit of time with her sibling, for tomorrow night, he would spare her the pain of having to witness the child succumbing to the unfortunate factors of her illness...as Chiyoko would fatefully succumb him.

They were both going to die within the week. But, only one of them would be by his hands.

As he shut the door behind him, he could perceive the Konoha kunoichi exiting a doorway at the end of the hall and steadily walking towards the room. His impoverished eyesight caught the spectacle of her dark red kimono wrapped in a white haori, something he suspected she wore every time she entered this place.

It was not hard to pick up on her unease around him. "Where is Chiyoko?" She asked as she stopped beside him.

"She is still with her sister," He answered plainly, his expression never changing.

"Oh, well, if you'll excuse me," She said curtly, moving to edge around him.

"If you don't mind, Haruno-san," He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Her bright eyes glared up to him in question. "I thought a walk might be invigorating." He mentioned genially. "Would you accompany me?"

He could tell she was weighing her options, mulling over whether or not it was wise to be alone with him. She was smart to doubt him, he surmised, Sakura Haruno seemed like a very keen, very willful and highly intelligent young woman. Such qualities were alluring and beguiling to him. "Let me put away my lab coat," She submitted cautiously before turning and retreating down the hall.

Itachi was already waiting half way down the street when she joined him outside and she quickened her step to catch up. "It's a lovely evening," She said, just for the sake of being applicable and felicitous. He did not answer. In fact, he didn't speak at all until they had ventured past the streets and accessed the beach.

He did enjoy the elemental view the ocean offered his tired eyes. The sight was so...simple and easy to look at. There was nothing fastidious or delineating about the expanse of the water that he had to analyze and portray within his mind.

"The people of this town seem to hold you in high regards, Haruno-san," He mentioned impassively, then paused. Watching curiously as she stopped and bent over, balancing on one foot to remove her sandal and then switching to the other. She hooked them over her fingers before lightly skipping up to him on the sandy beach. An act that he did not reciprocate.

"Yes, well, I do my best to help." She shrugged, feeling strangely at ease around him suddenly.

He could feel her relaxing in his presence and the transition intrigued him. Was there a reason for this uninspired revision? Her eyes strayed out to the open ocean, glowing and reflecting the image of the moon over the surf, eschewing the light. The waves were never ending.

It would appear even in the darkness of the night and despite his waning vision, he could clearly see how her verdant eyes shone like a beacon. A wistful and harmonious serenity hazed over those jade windows that he was soon finding winsome and attractive. It had him wondering what it might be like to feel such tranquility again.

Itachi began to realize how long it had been since he had consorted amongst such virtue.

However, even if he had desired to do so, he could not afford himself the luxury of granting himself a peaceful mind.

"What will you do when she dies?" He asked abruptly. He heard her faint gasp as the ambient light in her eyes faded.

Sakura wasn't sure how to gauge his question, or answer it. Because she wasn't certain of which '_she_' he had been referring to. Chiyoko or Nani.

"What do you mean?" It was impossible to miss the traces of anger brimming in her voice. She would not allow him to taunt her with threats to either of them.

"The child." He reiterated. "You must learn to detach yourself better, Haruno-san. You care too much."

"I don't intend to let her die." Was all she answered.

"Did you or did you not just tell the woman that her sister's chances of death were far higher than her opportunity of life?"

"Those are things I have to say." She wrapped her arms around herself, warding off the breeze and his cold words.

"Then, do you _have_ to save everyone?"

Her head snapped to him, stunned. "Excuse me?"

Itachi stepped into her immediate proximity, reaching out to tuck the stubborn strand of hair behind her ear as it had continued to brush against her temple. He felt her body tense in fear that she quickly guised with a defensive stare. "Tell me, Haruno-san, will you save her from me?"

Her lips parted softly as her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Save who?" It was troubling, honestly, how she failed to sense any ounce of perilous intent manifesting off him, and yet, she knew this man was a force she was completely vulnerable under, she was at his mercy. He had already proved such a thing once.

He leaned in closer and her heart fluttered in her chest when his hand fluently glided down to her neck. "What would you do for her, Sakura?" His breath was warm against her ear and she felt her cheeks flush with heat.

"I would do anything to protect my friends," She whispered in response, resisting the alarming urge to list into him.

"There are few who will sacrifice everything for a loved one." But Sakura couldn't believe that he had meant those words, because when he spoke them, they were empty and lacking any adulation.

And when he pulled away, those eyes were distant and detached...as if recalling an old memory...

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**MM. ch. 8 has been put on the back burner. The way I see it, The Virus has been long overdue for a makeover and an update. Ch. 3 will be up soon. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**-**

_The glow inside burns light upon her – I'll try to kiss you if you let me_

_I feel the darkness break upon her – I'll take you over if you let me_

-

'_Will you save her from me?_' Those words continued to ring in her mind as Sakura landed silently on the rooftop of one of the many branching houses of the Matsumoto clan. She knelt down and scanned the perimeter of the grounds. Searching for any disturbances, but everything seemed quiet.

By all accounts, she was breaking the rules by being here like this. Dressed head to toe in solid black, she was straying from her main objective of being on the island, which was to assist the Medical Center. Not to take on a dangerous (possible S-rank) reconnaissance and rescue mission that had nothing to do with Fire Country in the first place. Tsunade might ring her ass for it later if she found out her pupil was butting into foreign affairs, but it was obvious this guy was an assassin who'd probably already killed the real Cha no Kuni prince and dumped him like a bucket of chum into the ocean. If she sat back and watched as she let an innocent victim get murdered, she'd be no better than they were.

She frowned slightly as she continued to mull over what he'd said to her on the beach. '_What would you do for her?_' Why would he say such a thing to her? It was at once blatant admittance and yet still deepened the enigma. It had offered no answers that she didn't already know; that he was here to kill Chiyoko. So he'd practically exposed himself, but it only confused her more. What was he getting at? What was his game? Did he _want _her to stop him or something?

Her eyes wondered over the courtyard where a few guards were talking amongst themselves. Outside the north wing, a servant was sitting on a bench having a smoke. She glanced over to the garden, behind a bush a maid and a butler were making out...woah, maybe a little more than that...

She turned away from the scene, eyes wide and blushing. She briefly wished Sai was here, he was a hell of a lot better at this special-ops business then she was. But he was way too annoying to deal with, half the time. He'd called her a heifer and told her to have a horrible time before she'd left for Sea Country. Needless to say, he had received the usual punishment. One of these days, he was going to say just the right _wrong _thing and then she'd finally have the perfect excuse to turn him into a eunuch.

Putting away her distracting thoughts, she returned to her search for an unattended inlet. It seemed all the entrances appeared to be blocked. She had no intention of hurting any of the household staff, or performing any sort of jutsu on them, she might have to wait it out for an opening.

Her eyes guided her to the main building, there were several windows on the second floor, a few of which were open. _Perfect_, she thought with a smirk and leapt over to land on a few wobbly shingles. Making sure the room was empty, she slid inside and crept over to the door.

Navigating around the house was easy enough, she'd been here a few times before, which made it easier to recognize the layout. The normal household chores were being carried out by the servants and she made sure to stick to the shadows and avoid them at all costs.

When she finally reached the guest quarters, she examined every room, searching for any clues of the man in serious stealth mode. She masked her chakra as her footsteps softened and quieted. She withdrew a kunai out of basic reflex when she heard someone coming down the hall, when she peeked around the corner and saw it was only night security, she retreated quickly into an empty bedroom, waiting for them to pass.

She let out a silent breath as she slid the door shut behind her and turned around, just to make sure the room was uninhabited.

The wheels in her brain started turning when she saw a dark, neatly folded kimono sitting at the end of the futon. She walked up to it and examined the fabric, confirming that it was the one Rikuto had been wearing at dinner.

Sakura had to suppress a smile. She'd found his room, and quite by accident, too. But still, at nearly half past midnight...he was not in his bed. Nor were the covers disturbed.

Suspicious?

Yes, indeed.

She moved fast, rummaging through all the little corners and crevices of the room. Under the futon and in the closet. It wasn't until she opened the short dresser that she found something.

Inside the drawer, lying perfectly folded, were the clothes she had seen him wearing last night in the bar. Black slacks, a plain shirt and fishnet pullover. Conventional shinobi garb, no big thing. Next to the clothes, sat a beaded necklace rolled around a heavy, silver ring engraved with a kanji, intriguing, but nothing implicating. When she pulled out the outfit, however, she found yet another compelling bit of information.

There was the cloak the two of them had been carrying. But it wasn't turned inside out. Her eyes narrowed as she lifted the garment and inspected it. Long and dark with distinct red kumo markings.

It took all of Sakura's willpower just to breath when she finally realized just who exactly it was she'd been dealing with.

Akatsuki.

_Damn..._

She clenched her fists in the fabric. Just her luck.

Many a warning she'd received from Tsunade and other jonin to avoid said characters at all costs. If ever encountering any individual from the criminal organization, and you didn't have direct orders to attack, give them a wide birth. If confrontation is imminent, well...may God have mercy on your soul.

She heard a thump and looked down to see a headband had fallen out of the cloak. Leaning down, she pursed her lips as she picked it up and turned it over. A sickening nausea pummeled her stomach as her fingers skimmed over a scarred leaf carved out on the hitai-ite.

The next realization slapped her across the face so hard she nearly lost her balance. 'Rikuto' had been traveling with a large, aquatic, blue skinned man, who'd also been totting around a similar cape, not to mention the giant sword he'd used to lop off the bartenders head.

She put two and two together easily enough and suddenly she understood why the fraudulent stranger had looked so familiar to her.

Sakura knew only one other man who had eyes as deep and sorrowful as his...

And he had been an Uchiha.

She sank to her knees as wave after wave of shock and tinges of fear came over her.

And just _how _exactly was she supposed to defeat Uchiha Itachi? S-class missing nin, international criminal, homicidal lunatic and badass extrordinaire. Not to mention his demon shark partner, Hoshigaki Kisame. She'd been caught up in many a wacky binds in her day, but even she had to admit, this one topped them all.

Akatsuki was a high-risk syndicate whose members were some of the most notorious, power hungry, blood-lusting criminals known amongst the prefectures of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. And Itachi just happened to be one of the most formidable man in the shinobi world.

She looked down at the coat in her hands again. He'd practically left it out in the open for her to find so easily. Was he _trying _to get caught or something? If keeping his identity a secret was so imperative, why would he even bring such crucial piece of evidence into the house? No less, without even attempting to hide it.

Which brought up another riddle.

So, what the hell were they doing posted all the way out in the boons of Kika Island? By now, it was obvious his objective was to assassinate Chiyoko Matsumoto. But why? Who would put out a hit on such an inconsequential woman?

Perhaps someone had a score with her father. Still, she found that scenario unlikely. She'd met the man before, and although he was a pompous ass, he was hardly rich enough or influential enough to be involved in any business concerning the underground universe.

She struggled to make any sort of connection.

The original Rikuto Ryuunosuke was likely either being held captive or already deceased. Itachi had taken his place and was now infiltrating the Matsumoto residence to murder a Daimyou's daughter because...

The rest was a mystery.

Sakura suddenly gasped.

Chiyoko. She had to get her out of this place and as far away from Itachi as possible.

Quickly, she folded up the garments and placed them back in the proper order that she had extracted them from.

When she exited the room, she did so from the window, climbing up the walls towards the roof (shinobi 101: using your chakra to adhere to vertical obstacles) and migrated over to where she knew Chiyoko's bedroom was located. This was going to be difficult to explain. How else do you tell a friend the reason you've broken into their house in the middle of the night and come to whisk them away was because an international mass-murderer was posing as your most likely dead fiancé and intends to assassinate you? And do so with_out_ getting some degree of adjudicating looks of insanity from that person.

As Sakura reached her window, she recited and prepped the speech in her mind. After sliding the glass open, she slipped her leg inside and landed gracefully on the floor.

She had to brace herself against the wall at what she saw.

Upon the futon in the center of the room, Chiyoko lay nude, covered from the waist down by a thin sheet...sleeping and draped over the equally nude body of Uchiha Itachi.

Sakura's fists clenched tightly, shaking from the strain as her teeth were nearly ground to a pulp. Every inch of her being was filled with anger and spite at the man. But, the worst part of it all...was that familiar little voice of her Inner-Self roaring with irrational jealously.

She forced herself to take a deep, calming breath and push the absurd, warped emotions into the garbage bin at the back of her mind. Because that's just what such senseless thoughts were: garbage.

Chiyoko was the victim in this whole debacle. Jealousy over Uchiha Itachi was not rational thought processing, nor was it a sensation she'd have ever guessed she'd experience in a million years. It was psychotic and hardly appropriate of the occasion and to even think such things were treacherously dangerous. Not to mention horribly demented.

Once the tide of sickening jealousy had washed away and logical thought returned, a new fury swept over her. The very same asshole who'd stolen Sasuke away from her team, nearly put Kakashi-sensei in a coma, attempted to kidnap Naruto and betrayed her village had now also compromised another one of her friends.

She definitely had _many _reasons to hate this bastard.

With a twinkle of vengeance in her eye, she whipped out a kunai and twirled it around her finger, an evil smirk crossing her lips. Sasuke might hate her forever for stealing his glory, but catching Konoha's public enemy numero uno unguarded like this might actually prove beneficial.

She took a step forward.

_Wait, wait, wait..._

A pestering little voice popped up.

_Don't be a hero, you don't stand a chance!_

She paused. Point taken.

_If you got any ounce of logic left in you, if you wanna see the dawn of another day, if you have any desire to see the moment when your breasts actually develop, turn around and get the _hell_ outta here!_

But...Chiyoko?

_I don't see her complaining..._

Sakura bit her lip and looked at the woman, that irrational jealousy squirming to the surface again..._I'm gonna kill him._ This time, her psyche offered no protest.

Silently sneaking further into the room, she couldn't seem slow down the rapid beating of her heart as a nervous bead of sweat slid to her temple. She knelt down next to the sleeping man and held her breath, an uncomfortable feeling creeping over her as she saw the spiral ANBU tattoo that lingered on his left shoulder. Witnessing any remaining trace of Konoha on the felon made her very uneasy. It was a broken connection to the village.

Chiyoko's head was resting on his other shoulder, breathing softly in her sleep, her arm slung over his abdomen. His skin was unnaturally pale. His veins were protruding from his flesh, especially over points of pressure were more pronounced muscles tightened his skin. And although his muscles were prominent and well defined, everything in between those tendons were gauntly sunken in and lacking any fat tissue. There was not an ounce of meat on him, he appeared very pallid and almost...unhealthy.

Her brows knit together in some strange, ridiculous moment of pity. Even in the bliss of sleep, his facial features were taut with stress and unease. Still, she brought the kunai closer to him, edging it up to his neck before tensing her arm in preparation for a hard downward thrust to slice his throat. She paused.

_You're hesitating...and just exactly _why _are you hesitating? _

The voice objected again.

_Come on, just picture the look on everyone's faces when you walk through the gates of Konoha – dragging the gangster by his pony tail along behind you. Talk about a popularity boost._

She wasn't in it for the glory.

_He ruined Sasuke. _

It wasn't her place to step in on that matter. This was an entirely isolated incident.

_Aren't you still jealous? Just look at him down there, you know you want to peek under those covers..._

No way, the man was like walking death.

_Just admit it. You liked it when he was caressing your hair._

That had absolutely nothing to do with anything. It wasn't even a viable argument.

_Well, if you're going to do it, you should probably do it now. Cuz, most likely, he's gonna wake up right...about..._

It was all she could do not to scream when a hand latched onto her wrist. Another around her neck. Her mouth opened and her eyes widened as his head suddenly snapped to the side like a corpse coming to life, eyes digging into her own.

The last thing she saw was the obsidian pinwheels of the Mangekyo Sharingan spinning in the twin pools of a crimson iris.

-

Itachi was employed once again with the nuisance of returning the wayward Konoha kunoichi back to her hotel room.

She had proved to be very headstrong and stubborn, even though she knew she stood no chance against him, she persisted in continuing her attempts at sabotaging his mission. If it were any other case and point in time, he would have found himself highly annoyed and, most likely, killed her.

He didn't mind missions received to dispatch crime lords, underground smugglers, slave traders and other such nefarious criminals that menaced society like cockroaches. He even preferred assignments leased out to the Akatsuki to hunt down other missing nin from villages, such objectives were easily justifiable and never problematic. But, it was being chartered with the assassination of innocent people that unnerved him, he usually tried to avoid such dealings and object if Pein ever burdened him with one.

And this mission? Just another measurably 'small' endeavor in Nagato's master plan to bring the world to it's knees at his feet.

The joining of the prince of Cha no Kuni and the daughter of the Daimyou of Umi no Kuni was to signify an allegiance of the two countries in a convergence of power to strengthen the weak nations.

By killing and storing the body of Rikuto Ryuunosuke, Pein had sent him in to take his place. His mission's prerogative was to assassinate Chiyoko Matsumoto the night before their wedding. After her death, Itachi and Kisame were to wipe out the rest of the household, leaving no man alive to bear witness of the slaughter. Such a thing could spoil Pein's plot if a pair of eyes were to testify in the name of the truth.

They would then ship the body to the main island where her father resided, along with a scroll stating that Ryuunosuke had murdered his daughter in cold blood.

By that time, Zetsu would step in again and send the body of Rikuto back to his home land in Tea Country, attached would be yet another note detailing the murder of the Cha no Kuni prince at the hands of Chiyoko Matsumoto in her endeavor to be free of the unwanted engagement.

Once the seed of vengeance had been planted, neither side would listen to reason and it would be easy to start a small scale war between the two countries, in effect annulling the original desire of unity. And who would be there to step in and save the day at a reasonable price for the low-budget, poor provinces?

Akatsuki.

Which would also place both of the domains under Akatsuki control and influence with a single shot. Killing two birds with one stone.

He had to give Nagato credit. It was insanely ridiculous and insanely brilliant. Along with his hunt for the Tailed Beasts, his scheming never seemed to end. He would go to any lengths to achieve his desired result.

But war was not a result Itachi desired. No matter how small or insignificant the aforesaid involved country was.

That's where this girl stepped in.

Itachi planned to indirectly use her as a method to expose the Akatsuki presence on the island and essentially put a dead halt on his mission, sparing the life of Chiyoko Matsumoto and stopping a war.

She must have realized by now that killing him was not how she would succeed in defeating him. She was smart and intelligent, surely she would figure out how to apply her wits to outsmart him so the only way she might prevail was not by a physical battle, but by mentality.

It was almost entertaining, really, how she'd actually thought she could kill him so easily. Any self-respecting shinobi should have been insulted by such petty attempts, but it was more diverting then anything.

She might have gotten relatively close to that goal, too, if it weren't for all the unconscious grating of her teeth that she'd been doing, quite loudly. At a few points, it had almost sounded as if she had actually been mumbling to herself under her breath.

How amusing, was she cross because he'd slept with her friend?

Intercourse with marked targets was just another labor that came with the job. He never put any amount of thought into it. Lovers were liabilities that came and went for him as much as he moved from town to town. He'd given up on the prospect of 'love' and 'happiness' the night he'd massacred his clan, his family, friends and his lover gone with them.

Chiyoko Matsumoto had been wrecked with grief from her dying sister. She'd asked for consolation in the most basic of ways. He'd complied, it was his job. He was supposed to be her fiancé, aside from that, he'd done nothing more.

Itachi gently laid the kunoichi on her bed and watched as her head lulled to the side. Her lips parted softly and it seemed to catch his eye. He'd estimated her age to be around fifteen or sixteen, the same as his brother. She had a unique beauty for such a young woman, a beauty that would, surely, blossom with age. Her attributes were soft and whimsical, almost spritely.

Observing her like this...strange things began to propagate withing his mind. Cultivating fatuous speculations.

He knew that imminent battle with his little brother was fast approaching. He'd molded Sasuke into the perfect avenger to submit Itachi to the aspired demise he so longed for and, indefinitely upon doing so, reclaim the family honor. He could feel his presence growing stronger and closer by the day, he yearned for that death. But there was only one thing he knew his sibling would probably never strive to achieve...the only thing Itachi doubted him on.

Reinstating the Uchiha bloodline.

Itachi had always presumed it would be best for such a thing to never happen. The Uchiha name was destined to be cursed forever. He didn't want that curse carried on from generation to generation, logic said to let them die out.

But, the more he sensed his mortality slipping away and the more he thought about it, he could never feel completely comfortable in letting the Uchiha bloodline wither away into nothing.

Once Madara was out of the picture...Sasuke would be alone.

Itachi didn't want him to be alone...

He examined the girl on the bed. Sakura Haruno was strong, loyal, conservative and full of conviction. Everything needed to protect and give proper guidance to ones offspring. She was also meek, compassionate and humble enough to impart humane values and traditions upon said offspring.

On top of that, she was from Konoha and the disciple of the Godaime Hokage. That was how he'd known she was once an acquaintance of his little brother's.

He'd known Sasuke's previous teammates had each been taken in by the remaining two of Konoha's legendary Sannin. The Nine Tailed carrier, Naruto Uzumaki, had been scooped up by Jiraiya. And Sakura Haruno by Tsunade, one of the worlds strongest kunoichi, whom she would undoubtedly follow in such footsteps. The girl was already showing signs of becoming a great kunoichi, her medical skills nearly unparalleled.

Yes, she would certainly become quite a force with continued effort. Such strength was desirable to withhold the birth of an Uchiha heir. And being an ex-teammate of Sasuke, when he would return to the village, the child would have direct contact with a relative Uchiha...as well as Sasuke having an extended family.

The more he pondered, the more it seemed like a reasonable outcome. But it was not a decision that could be made so suddenly, it would require some more thought and deliberation.

Out of nothing more than inquisitive curiosity, he reached down and ran his thumb over her bottom lip, feeling out the velvety smooth skin. His eyes narrowed when she pursed them into the touch, as if wanting more.

How intriguing.

Fueled by this growing curiosity to see how her body might react to him, he slid his hand from her lips to her neck and slowly descended to the alcove between her breasts, muffled by the fabric of her shirt.

Her back arched slightly in her sleep as the glossy, pink cavity parted further in a quietly exhaled breath. The breath turned into a mewl when his fingers skimmed along the underside of one of the mounds...edging downward past her navel. Itachi gradually leaned in further, his own lips hovering over hers as a replacement to the touch.

He inhaled her shallow pants and the sweet moisture of her breath when his palm brushed over her waist and slid to the softness of her inner thigh. Her hips moved forward, rolling towards his hand, but he removed it before contact was made and rested it above her knee.

Itachi hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should press his lips against hers, even in just a faintly chaste caress. They looked so pink and soft, they would certainly feel just a pleasing on his mouth as it had on his thumb.

"..._please_..." It was so faint, barely detectable.

His hand began sliding up her thigh once more and she whispered it again.

His breath started to pick up with hers, swallowing each gasp, restraining his mouth from covering hers. 'Please' what? He'd wanted to hear her say it again, to say it and immediately supercede the plead with his name, so she'd be begging _him_, coveting _him_. The girl released a muted moan when his fingers slipped under the waistband of her tight, black pants and he saw her fist gripping in the covers.

This was reckless insanity...even more so insane than he was on most days.

But, he could feel his fingers edging closer to endless warmth and each breath she drew grew more desperate and shaky. He couldn't do it...he shouldn't do it...he let a finger breech the gates at the juncture of her thighs. Sliding over a dewy pearl that made her hips lurch before his fingertip eased into her entrance.

Itachi's hand began to shake...not from his illness, but from repression and the long forgotten sensation of inner turmoil. He prepared to push it further in, purposely hindering himself to do so without much effort, he met resistance not only from her body, but from a part of him deep inside that said this was wrong. He'd given up on right and wrong years ago, he didn't care. Such things were inconsequential.

Still...

He released a slow breath and pulled away, deciding against it. Harassing a woman in her sleep was hardly acclaimed fair game. Nor ethical, not that he had many ethics left. There wasn't a cell in his body that contained an ounce of innocence. But this girl...she was surrounded by it. It exuded from her like a halo of light.

Itachi left her in her bed, disappearing out of the room to find Kisame.

Strangely enough, he'd suddenly acquired the desire to kill something tonight. It was hardly an inclination he would act upon...but the feverish craving was there, none the less.

-

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**If you could choose, would rather be a Samurai or a Shinobi? **

**Please review! Feedback and con. crit. is loved!** **I'm not sure I'll continue if pplz don't like the new one.**


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